Man gets nine years jail over death of four week old baby

Geoff has been working for the QT since August 2011 covering Ipswich’s rural areas. He started working for APN in January 2010 with the Chinchilla News in western Queensland after growing up on a grain farm. Geoff spends his time out of work watching far too much sport following the Reds, the Broncos and various American teams.

On another occasion she saw Humphreys slap Paige with an open hand when feeding her.

On September 23, 2012, just four weeks after birth, Ms Mooney found her daughter cold and unresponsive.

Paige had brain injuries, a fractured skull, and internal injuries to her pancreas and liver that led to her death. She had injuries to her face, arms, legs and ribs.

Humphreys, 31, was sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday to nine years jail for Paige's torture and manslaughter. He has been in jail since he was arrested in February 2014.

Ms Mooney told the court on Friday she was living in a "never ending nightmare".

She said she had moved their family from their Gympie home repeatedly due to the fear of Humphreys finding her.

"I still fight everyday with the insecurity and the guilt that has scarred me for life after losing my daughter," she said.

"My relationship with my fiance suffers the most. Ever since Mr Humphreys destroyed my trust it makes it difficult to let people in."

The court heard Ms Mooney had attempted to take Paige to the hospital on a number of occasions but Humphreys prevented her as he thought he would get charged with "bashing" his daughter.

The court heard Humphreys had a violent youth and his father introduced him to drugs and was using cannabis and ice at the time of the offence.

Justice David Boddice said Paige's death was "brutal, cruel but also tragic."

"It is inconceivable that a human being could do that to a baby of that age," he said.

He said there had been a "systematic and persistent use of gratuitous violence" against Paige.

Humphreys was sentenced to nine years jail. The offence was declared a "serious violent offence" meaning Humphreys will spent at least 80% of those nine years behind bars before he can apply for parole.